In today's network environment, an electronically controlled apparatus connected to a network is often shared by multiple users. An example of such an electronically controlled apparatus is a network printer. Such a network printer operates to receive a series of jobs from multiple clients and prints out the jobs as requested by the clients in the order they were received. This is a convenient way of automatically making prints of requested jobs.
In recent years, there has been commercialized a complex system that provides a scanner (copier), a facsimile, and a printer in integrated form as a printing apparatus complex. The printing apparatus complex operates such that the printer successively outputs an image that was entered in each mode of the apparatus.
However, the conventional image output apparatus that is shared by multiple users, or that with a plurality of modes (plural paths of image entry) has a deficiency. Namely, it may take time to process a requested new job when the image output apparatus is busy, and particularly when the apparatus is operating at its peak with a plurality of jobs.
Further, operations of the image output apparatus need to be arrested when supplying expendables or replacing and adjusting (checking) components, which needs to be performed regularly to maintain a stable environment for the image output apparatus. However, arresting the operations of the image output apparatus is inconvenient for the users, and, ideally, it should cause as few problems as possible for the users.
A recently proposed management system enables the administrator or users of the image output apparatus to know the operating status of the apparatus. This is achieved by the functions of the image output apparatus whereby the operating history of the apparatus is managed, stored, and displayed or printed out in the form of a list. However, in this management system, the administrator faces a great difficulty in reading the operating status because the system only displays the operating status of the image output apparatus in the form of a list. This is also troublesome for the user of the apparatus when the regular check-up needs to be carried out at the time when the image output apparatus is busy.
An example of such an image output apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Publication for Unexamined Patent Application No. 277580/1991 (Tokukaihei 3-277580; published on Dec. 9, 1991). This publication discloses a printer with an accumulative status display function, in which the operating time of the printer is measured and the number of printer operations is counted, so as to manage the total time each printer is used. This publication merely teaches a technique to find the total operating time of the printer since the time the printer was installed.
Another example is a printer system disclosed in Japanese Publication for Unexamined Patent Application No. 134142/1999 (Tokukaihei 11-134142; published on May 21, 1999). The printer system disclosed in this publication enables each client to confirm the current operating status of the printer. The publication merely teaches a technique that enables the client to ascertain the current operating status of the printer.
Further, Japanese Publication for Unexamined Patent Application No. 227299/1999 (Tokukaihei 11-227299; published on Aug. 24, 1999) discloses a printing apparatus which manages operating history information, including total print counts, daily print counts, the number of processed jobs, the number of paper jams, or the frequency of paper jams, so as to report the managed information upon request. This publication merely teaches a technique in which the past operating status is managed in the form of data and the data is reported upon request.
Yet another example is a printing system disclosed in Japanese Publication for Unexamined Patent Application No. 71581/2000 (Tokukai 2000-71581; published on Mar. 7, 2000). In this printing system, the print history is stored in the form of data, and an amount of expendable to be used is calculated from the data of print history, so as to project a time frame in which the replacement of the expendable will be required. This publication merely teaches a technique in which the amount of expendable consumed or left is calculated based on the history of printer operations, so as to project a time frame in which the expendable will be empty and inform the administrator of the projection.